Fruit Pies
by Alone in the Outfield
Summary: For tarzi-kins. Sokka gives a gift that he didn't even know existed. Zutara, postwar. Making the assumption that Katara and Aang never really went for it.


This fic is for tarzi-kins. I like humour too!

It was Sokka's favorite Fire Nation delicacy; he had spent four years in the Fire Nation after an entire year in Kyoshi Island and one in Omashu, and had never found a treat quite like it.

It had a crumbly crust, best warm. The little thing was circular, and filled with exotic fruits, each complementing one another. The top was covered in a sugary, opaque layer. The topping covered the fruit and made them glossy, like little bits of colored glass.

The magical miniature Fruit Pie (with special pastry crust, of course).

When Sokka returned to the Southern Tribe to take his place as the next Chief, his stories revolved around only four things. His budding friendship with Zuko, his harem of Fire Nation ladies, the new strategies and inventions he had designed and built, and those delicious fruit pies.

"When you take your place as Lady Ambassador, Katara, I'm telling you. You will love those fruit pies." Sokka waxed on about the damned pies to his sister for weeks. No prune tart was ever good enough anymore. Sokka had tasted heaven in pastry, and wasn't going to forget it.

When Katara finally made her trip to the Fire Nation, after those years of lonliness and soldier's rations (rebuilding a Nation is hard work, but well worth it), she promised herself she would never ever try one of those pies. She could not give her brother the satisfaction.

She made it one year, two trips home, and a month in Ba Sing Se with Toph and Aang without one of those pies.

...

"Katara, your brother has sent me an urgent letter." In his pajamas, Fire Lord Zuko looked at the messy scribble in his hand and looked up at his most trusted adviser and friend. She had just emerged from her room in her blue nightgown and white silk robe (a twenty-first birthday gift). She rubbed her eyes.

"Zuko? It's two in the morning." Katara spoke through a yawn.

"I know. He sent the message priority- Urgent mail. It comes to me twenty-four hours a day like that. He's my best friend, he knows I need my sleep. But how did he get it here? Why...?' Zuko trailed off, looking confused at the letter.

Katara took the letter from him and scanned it.

_Dear Katara._

_Quickly! Get up right now and go down to the kitchen. I have a suprise for you. _

_Love, your brother. Chief of the Southern Tribe. Fire Lord Zuko's best friend. Etcetera._

Katara growled. "We have to go, Zuko. He could've have put something dangerous down there."

Zuko nodded, took Katara by the waist, and leaned his head on her shoulder. "He's your brother," Zuko complained. Katara laughed softly, crumpled up the letter, and the two began to shuffle down the hall.

...

When the pair reached the servants quarters, all the lights were on and a few maids still scuttled about, chattering and finishing chores. Zuko sent them to bed, and entered the main room of the Palace Kitchens.

On the great wooden table sat a plate, and on the plate were two steaming, fresh, fruit pies. A last maid looked on with her lord and his friend. "For you two," she said, "made special. Master Sokka sent a letter requesting they be made just so." She walked off, giggling.

"Well," Katara said. She and Zuko stood dumbfounded. The pies smelled delicious.

"Better take advantage, Kat. They made them for us." Zuko closed his mouth and shuffled towards the table. He took a seat, and took a cloth napkin from a pile on the table.

"I can't, I..." Katara still stood in the center of the room, "Sokka would be right."

"Katara, they're so fresh. Come on." Zuko urged.

"Well... he can't know, can he? Promise you won't tell, Zuko?"

"Promise," Zuko said through a mouthful, "now get over here. These are so good today."

Katara took a chair next to the young Fire Lord and took another napkin. She made sure her long, dark curls hung away from her face before she picked up the little sweet. She lifted the pie delicately, and lifted it to her lips, and bit into it...

"Oh my gosh!" She cried, mouth full of sweet fruit.

"I know," Zuko grinned at her, sticky fruit all over his mouth, "they're the best."

Katara laughed, and took another huge bite. Soon both adults were covered in fruit, and both were laughing. _Sokka had been so right_, Katara thought. These pies were so delicious!

"Katara," Zuko said, suddenly serious, "you have some fruit..." He lifted his hand to her face and cupped her chin in his palm. Using his thumb, he wiped the fruit from one side of her lips. She looked at him with big blue eyes, taking his hand in hers. She put his thumb into her mouth and licked the fruit away.

The two looked at each other for a moment, and silence reigned; then suddenly, they were kissing. The kisses were gentle, sleepy, and grew in intensity. For what seemed like hours Katara and Zuko kissed; Zuko lifted Katara up and sat her on his hips, his hands massaging her back while her hands ran through his messy hair. Each kiss tasted like fruit, and each kiss exploded with pent-up desire and longing. The room was silent still, save for Katara's quiet moans.

And then Sokka burst through the huge wooden door on the other side of the kitchen.

"SUPRISE! CAUGHT YOU, KATARA!!" Sokka threw out his arms and grinned a smile reminiscent of Ty Lee or Aang on a sugar hype. He looked triumphant, until it occured to him that his sister was sitting on his best friends lap, and both of them were looking at Sokka guiltily and had smashed fruit all over themselves.

Sokka blanched. "You... him... I..." His jaw dropped, almost to the floor. He promptly turned and ran from the room, screaming the entire way back to the palace entrance.

Katara and Zuko, dumbfounded for only a moment, continued macking, and Sokka never-

not once, ever-

ate a fruit pie again.


End file.
